THE GAS COiMPANY.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3058, 4 June 1878, Page 2

THE GAS COiMPANY.

[to the editor.]

Sir, — I see in to-day's Argus a paragraph cut from a Wellington paper reflecting on the Greymouth Gas Company, stating " that the supply of gas is so scanty, and that supplied so inferior, that many consumers are proposing to revert to kerosene." Of course there are to be found in Greymouth men, if nofc birds, who delight to defile their own nests, and no doubt think they are doing a righteous act in crying down everything and anything that will injure Greymouth and its enterprises, but I really thought that the A egos would have made itself acquainted with the facts before backing up this paragraph by denouncing the Greymoufch Gas Company as being " wretchedly managed." Ifc has been the cry of the Argus on all occasions — support local industry — and not many weeks ago appeared a strong article on the subject, which reflected on those who sent away for articles that could be manufactured here. The directors of the Gas Company no doubt took the same view, and in fairness to local firms resolved to have retorts manufactured in the district and be ready for winter use. By some unforseen accident the retorts turned out to be unsound and not fit for use. As soon as the directors were made aware of the fact they endeavored by communicating in and out of the Colony to procure' others, but without success, and about a month ago the Wellington Gas Company offered to-snpply the Gas Company with five iron retorts, which are not at ali suitable or profitable to the Company, bufc under the circumstances were gladly accepted by the directors so as to keep up a good supply of gas to consumers. Afortnight elapsedbefore these retorts could be landed in Greymouth ; another fortnight before articles could be manufactured to set them up in the bench, and ten days before tbey could be gradually and sufficiently heated for gas-making purposes. They have been undergoing the heating process for the last two or three days, and will be ready for use on Saturday next, so that the gasconsuming public need not revert to kerosene, lf the directors had sent home for fireclay retorts when they ordered them here they would perhaps have escaped being termed " wretched managers," bufc no doubt you would, on principle, bave censured them for nofc supporting and encouraging " local industry." Now, Mr Editor, these are the facts, which almost every gas consumer in Greymoufch knows, and which you might have known without travelling outside your own office for the information.

•f have been in many colonial towns where gas was manufactured, and have experienced more inconvenience -from accidents and "scanty and inf erior gas " in all of them than I have ever in Greymouth. This being the case, and consumers under the above circumstances being comparatively speaking satisfied, and shareholders paid fair dividends, I cannot agree with you that "it is a wretchedly managed company," but, on the contrary, maintain that it has been and is now well conducted and managed.

I am, &c,

Light,

[Our correspondent musfc be credited with loyalty to the Greymouth Gas Company, but his letter somewhat tells against himself. No one can doubt that, judging by results — from whatever causes they have arisen, and which should have beeu foreseen — the Gas Works have, as we ventured to say, been " wretchedly managed," or mismanaged as the case may be. Ifc is sufficient justification for our remarks that the management has been changed, and that there is now a probability of a sufficient, and efficients amount of gas being supplied to the public. — Ed. G.B.A.]